Apple is trying to kill the laptop

The new MacBook Air is finally here. But clues suggest the iPad is Apple's vision for the future of computing.

Tim Cook.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

I write about tech, so a lot of people ask me for recommendations — about what phone to buy, or whether it's time upgrade their laptop. But if there's one question I've gotten more than any other over the past few years, it's this: "When is Apple going to upgrade the MacBook Air?" So many writers, academics, and students simply default to the Air, and they have been desperate for the outdated laptop to get a new design.

This week, at an event in Brooklyn, New York, Apple finally announced a new model with an upgraded screen and better specs. But one thing customers loved about the Air — its comparatively affordable price — is now missing. Instead, when it comes to machines priced below $1,000, Apple's new iPads are taking the spotlight. It may seem like a strange move, but if you read the tea leaves, it becomes clear that Apple believes the iPad can replace the modern mainstream laptop.

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Navneet Alang

Navneet Alang is a technology and culture writer based out of Toronto. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, New Republic, Globe and Mail, and Hazlitt.